This month it’s Illinois I’ll remember, for being named a leader in media literacy education in the K-12 system. Beyond just the “media”, our public, private, and professional worlds shower us with information, and media literacy is about giving us the tools to sort through it all and make decisions for ourselves. It’s about taking a moment – a moment to figure out who is talking or writing and what informs their point of view. What does it have to do with economic development? Well, I think it is part of what employers talk about when they mention a need for soft skills like critical thinking.
On a recent road trip, I listened to this discussion. It reminded me of a favorite book of mine – The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu.
For a summary of how it is or isn’t being discussed in your state, here is a link to Media Literacy Now, a non-profit that advocates and advises on the issue.